Using VA Aid and Attendance Benefits Towards the Cost of Care

The VA Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit provides eligible veterans with tax-free pension income payments. This benefit also extends to surviving spouses of eligible wartime veterans. A married veteran can receive up to $2,642 per month to help with the cost of long-term care while a surviving spouse can receive nearly $1,432 per month.

The benefit is paid directly to the veteran by the United States Treasury and does not need to be paid back. It can be used to pay anyone, including the veteran’s child, for home care. It can also be used to pay for professional care in the home, assisted living, nursing home care, insurance premiums, prescription drugs, co-pays, and more. In essence, Aid and Attendance can help an eligible veteran or widowed spouse live at home for as long as possible while still receiving the care he or she needs and protecting hard-earned assets.

To be eligible for Aid and Attendance a veteran must:

• Have served 90 days or more of active duty, with at least one of those days taking place during a period of wartime
• Have received a discharge other than dishonorable
• Have medical expenses or care needs
• Meet financial guidelines established by the VA

For a surviving spouse to be eligible for Aid and Attendance, he or she must have been married to an eligible veteran for at least one year and never remarried.

Many veterans mistakenly believe that they have too much in the way of assets or income to qualify for the VA Pension Benefit. While it is true that the VA requires veterans and their surviving spouses to qualify both medically and financially, it is not necessary to run out of money before you can begin receiving benefits. Using available exemptions and proper planning, an eligible veteran may be able to qualify for the VA Pension Benefit without having to spend all of his money to pay for care.

To learn more about this valuable benefit, visit https://www.benefits.va.gov/pension/